about licenses

[Rob Landley]

On Monday 17 April 2006 9:21 pm, Rich Felker wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 17, 2006 at 06:46:30PM -0400, Rob Landley wrote:
> > On Sunday 16 April 2006 7:56 pm, Rich Felker wrote:
> > > I'm really sick of ignorant people bashing GPL v3. There is nothing in
> > > it that harms anyone doing legitimate things with the code.
> >
> > Yes, there is.  Section 5 (c):
> > > c) If the modified work has interactive user interfaces, each must
> > > include a convenient feature that displays an appropriate copyright
> > > notice, and tells the user that there is no warranty for the program
> > > (or that you provide a warranty), that users may redistribute the
> > > modified work under these conditions, and how to view a copy of this
> > > License together with the central list (if any) of other terms in
> > > accord with section 7. If the interface presents a list of user
> > > commands or options, such as a menu, a command to display this
> > > information must be prominent in the list. Otherwise, the modified work
> > > must display this information at startup--except in the case that the
> > > Program has such interactive modes and does not display this
> > > information at startup.
> >
> > If that crap stays in the final draft, then busybox's standalone mode
> > will have to bloat each individual applet by upwards of a full kilobyte. 
> > It's
>
> That clause has ALWAYS been in the GPL. Look at section 2(c). It's
> stupid and everyone ignores it.

Ok, let's look at section 2(c) from v2:

   c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively
    when run, you must cause it, when started running for such
    interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an
    announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a
    notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide
    a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under
    these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this
    License.  (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but
    does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on
    the Program is not required to print an announcement.)

See the parenthetical at the end?  Starting with the word "Exception"?  We're 
not ignoring it, we're making use of the exception.  The one which went away 
in the v3 draft.

Rob
-- 
Never bet against the cheap plastic solution.